Blog Archives

College Supports for Students with Learning Differences

3/31/2021

For Students and Parents:
Happening this Wednesday, March 31 at 6:30 pm, BHS Guidance and Special Education Departments will host the "College Supports for Students with Learning Differences" panel. We will talk about supports available at colleges and then answer questions from the audience. At present, the panel includes representatives from BHS Guidance & Special Education Departments, and Admission Counselors from Curry College (Caisie Wynot), UMass Lowell (Thomas Screnci) and MassBay Community College (Peter Schilling).

Click here to see the zoom recording of the night.
Password: EmW8@JtH

Mr. Libenzon's powerpoint presentation

BHS Guidance/Counseling Dept Weekly Updates – March 29, 2021

3/29/2021

URGENT REQUEST for all students Grades 9-11:
If you have not uploaded your 2021-22 course requests to the student portal, PLEASE UPLOAD BY END OF DAY THIS TUESDAY 3/30. Be sure to include elective and wellness course requests plus alternates, considering the required courses/credits needed for graduation. The portal will be closed after this Tues and any changes may not be possible until Fall 2021. You can find the portal instructions attached to this email. After you complete entering your requests, click Post at the bottom of the page. This lets your counselor know that you are finished entering requests.
Please contact your counselor if you have questions.

Reminder to families to complete the latest Blackboard survey (link below) regarding remote vs full in-person by this Tuesday 3/30. BHS Head of School Anthony Meyer communicated on Wed 3/24 - “...Beginning on 4/8/21, BHS will no longer be offering a hybrid option. While this survey deadline is an important one, we will continue to consider individual extenuating circumstances after this date. Although we have offered a great deal of flexibility for good reason this year, we are working to get ahead of DESE who will be mandating districts to prioritize in-person learning, dissolve hybrid approaches, and retain remote learning as an option for students and families who need it” -

BHS Guidance/Counseling Dept Weekly Updates – March 22, 2021

3/21/2021

It’s a sunny warm Sunday! I hope all of you are enjoying this spring day with more to come this week.

Students in Grades 9-11 will continue to add their course requests for 2021-22 into their student portals through 3/30. See attached portal instructions given to students in hubs/advisories last week. As courses are considered, school and life BALANCE for each student is key. Students should have heard from their teachers regarding course level recommendations. They also should be aware of what credits they need to earn a BHS diploma by their graduation. The 2021-22 BHS Course Catalog is now available on the BHS homepage.

There will be 2 IPRs (progress reports) for this Quarter 3. The first IPR was posted to student and parent portals on Monday 3/8. The next Quarter 3 IPR will be uploaded to the student and parent portals this Thurs 3/25. The end of Quarter 3 is Tues 4/6.

This week is a regular week of school. No special schedule! Next week is a special schedule week with Monday 3/29 being a student ½ day for BHS staff professional development. Friday 4/2 is a holiday off for Good Friday/Easter.

BHS Coun/Guid Weekly Update - Week of March 15, 2021

3/14/2021

It’s been a long year of COVID, with many people struggling with physical, mental health and academic challenges, food and housing insecurity, racial and ethnic injustice. Through it all, please remember that We Are Brookline High Warriors - This is hard. You can do it. We can help you!

Four important guidance related messages and events are highlighted here again this week:

Almost everyone’s mental health has been affected this past year. Be sure to take some time to read recent messages from BHS. (This information is also listed below and attached to this email.) Take the time to take care of yourself too!
Students in Grades 9-11 will continue to add their course requests for 2021-22 into their student portals through 3/30. See attached portal instructions given to students in hubs/advisories last week. As courses are considered, school and life BALANCE for each student is key. Students should have heard from their teachers regarding course level recommendations. They also should be aware of what credits they need to earn a BHS diploma by their graduation. The 2021-22 BHS Course Catalog is now available on the BHS homepage

BHS Guidance/Counseling Dept Weekly Updates – Week of March 8, 2021

3/7/2021

Could spring be in the air? With area temperatures possibly climbing into the 60’s this week and Daylight Savings Time happening next Sunday 3/14, we could all use some more sun and spring vibes.

Five important guidance related messages and events are highlighted here:

Almost everyone’s mental health has been affected this past year. Be sure to take some time to read recent messages from BHS. (This information is also listed below and attached to this email.) Take the time to take care of yourself too!

Students in Grades 9-11 will begin to add their course requests for 2021-22 into their student portals starting this Tues 3/9 through 3/30. As courses are considered, school and life BALANCE for each student is key. Students should have heard from their teachers regarding course level recommendations. They also should be aware of what credits they need to earn a BHS diploma by their graduation. The STUDENT PORTAL will allow students to upload elective and wellness courses. The 2021-22 BHS Course Catalog is now available on the BHS homepage .
For Class of 2022 – BHS Guidance will be sponsoring its first Virtual College Fair this Wednesday 3/10 from 6:30-8:30pm. Information has been shared in other emails and is also listed here.

Collaborating with BHS to Support your Child’s Mental Health

3/2/2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented adolescents with a number of unprecedented and complex experiences (e.g., lack of predictability, isolation, loss). As a result, more students than ever are experiencing mental health challenges. At home, you may be observing your teen:

Being more irritable, anxious, stressed, angry, and/or sad
Feeling tired all of the time
Expressing frustration about school
Wanting to be alone more often
Struggling to keep a healthy sleep schedule (sleeping more or less than usual)
Struggling to engage in school (e.g., poor attendance, falling behind in school, difficulty concentrating, reporting reduced motivation)
Eating more or less than usual
Not wanting to engage in activities that they previously liked
Being worried about the future

Given the complexities of the current environment, it is normal for teens to be feeling some of these feelings some of the time. However, if your teen is feeling many of these things over a long period of time (e.g., two consecutive weeks), they may need more support. Some other signs that your child may need more support include expressing concerns about their safety, refusing to leave their bedrooms for extended periods of time, and/or engaging in unhealthy behaviors to deal with stress (e.g., self-harm, substance use).

BHS Virtual College Fair

3/2/2021

BHS Virtual College Fair is coming up on Wednesday, March 10th, starting at 6:30 pm. We have 166 colleges signed up, and you can come to their virtual booth from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is click on the zoom link! Please note that zoom links will be "live" only on Wednesday--do not use them prior to the fair. Important: plan to attend 5 to 10 different booths (see more advice on how to navigate the fair below).

Here is the google document with all the zoom links.

Here is the document with our tips for how to navigate the fair, and what questions to ask.

Please email Mr. Libenzon if you have any questions about the fair!

March Scholarship Letter

3/2/2021

Previous Scholarship letters can be found on the BHS Guidance website.

BHS Scholarships
The Brookline High School Scholarship Committee announces that applications are now available for BHS scholarships for students going to ANY college. Applications are available online on the BHS homepage. Applications must be completed ASAP. The Scholarship Committee would like parents to know that we use three criteria for choosing award recipients: academics, contributions and activities at BHS, and most importantly, unmet financial need. There are no merit scholarships per se given out through this program. To make fair decisions, the Committee requires that families fill out the CSS Profile financial aid form, available at CollegeBoard.com. Please use code #0424

Below is a listing of scholarships available to qualified BHS Grade 12 students. You can find many more scholarships on goingmerry.com and fastweb.com

BHS Guidance/Counseling Dept Weekly Updates – Week of March 1, 2021

3/1/2021

March has arrived! This school week is a regular schedule. Again, students in Grades 9-11 are also considering their course requests for the next school year. Finding the important school and life BALANCE for each student is key. Students should be hearing from their teachers regarding course level recommendations. They also should be aware of what credits they need to earn a BHS diploma by graduation. Students will have access to their portal from March 9 through 30 to upload elective and wellness courses. The 2021-22 BHS Course Catalog is now available on the BHS homepage.

While we all continue to survive and try to thrive through the pandemic, the importance of everyone’s mental health continues to be critical. If you have concerns for yourself, a family member, or friend, please use your resources so you are not worrying alone! And check out this recent Boston Globe article on some “silver linings” over the past year.

Brookline High School Guidance

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